| Jurisdiction: | Eparchy |
| Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne (Ukrainian) | |
| Latin: | Eparchia Sanctorum Petri et Pauli Melburnensis Ucrainorum |
| Local: | Мельбурнська єпархія святих апостолів Петра й Павла |
| Country: | Australia |
| Territory: | Australia, New Zealand and Oceania |
| Province: | Melbourne (Latin) |
| Headquarters: | Melbourne |
| Coordinates: | -37.7964°N 144.9442°W |
| Population As Of: | 2009 |
| Catholics: | 32,500 |
| Parishes: | 10 |
| Denomination: | Catholic Church |
| Sui Iuris Church: | Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church |
| Rite: | Byzantine Rite |
| Particular Church: | Ukrainian Greek Catholic |
| Established: | 10 May 1958 as Apostolic Exarchate of Australia; 24 June 1982 as Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul |
| Cathedral: | Cathedral of St. Peter & St. Paul |
| Patron: | St. Peter and St. Paul |
| Patriarch: | Sviatoslav Shevchuk |
| Bishop: | Mykola Bychok C.Ss.R. |
| Bishop Title: | Eparch |
| Emeritus Bishops: | Peter Stasiuk C.Ss.R. |
| Website: | catholicukes.org.au |
The Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne is a Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church ecclesiastical territory or eparchy of the Catholic Church in Australia. Headquartered in Melbourne, it is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archbishop of Melbourne, a Latin Church territory.
The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, in North Melbourne, Victoria, is the episcopal church of the eparch, currently Mykola Bychok CSSR.
Like all Catholic dioceses in Australia, the eparchy is a member of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference. The Catholic Church is made up of the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic particular churches sui iuris, one of which is the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The eparchy is non-geographic, but demographic in that it has jurisdiction wherever Ukrainian Greeks are found in Australia, New Zealand and throughout Oceania. It has 21 churches and more schools, nursing homes and other institutions in Australia and New Zealand.
The eparchy began on 10 May 1958 as the apostolic exarchate for Ukrainians of the Byzantine Rite in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania. (Apostolic exarchs, like apostolic visitors, are "exempt", that is, they are responsible to the Holy Roman See. They are usually in missionary areas where the ordinary infrastructure of eparchies or dioceses is scanty.)
The exarchate was superseded on 24 June 1982 by its becoming the eparchy (that is, diocese) of Melbourne. Since there was already an Archbishopric of Melbourne, and it is not customary to have two bishops with identically named sees, the exarchate is described as "the Eparchy of Saints Peter & Paul of Melbourne" and is notionally a suffragan see of the (Latin) Archdiocese of Melbourne.
On 22 March 2023, the Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne, according to the decree of Bishop Mykola Bychok, decided that from 1 September 2023, the UGCC in Australia and Oceania will completely to the Gregorian calendar, including Easter, unlike the UGCC in Eurasia.[1]
On 24 March 2023, Bishop Mykola stated that the main intention of the calendar reform of the UGCC in Australia and Oceania is to be in unity with the Catholic Church in general, and with the UGCC in particular. Bishop Mykola emphasized that only the dates will change, but the traditions of celebrating Ukrainians in Australia will remain unchanged:[2] [3]
Church services are held in
The following individuals have been appointed apostolic exarch and/or elected as Ukrainian Eparch of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne:[4]
| Order | Name | Title | Date enthroned | Reign ended | Term of office | Reason for term end | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivan Prasko † | Apostolic Exarch of Australia (Ukrainian) | 10 May 1958 | 24 June 1982 | Elevated as Bishop of Ss Peter & Paul of Melbourne | |||
| 24 June 1982 | 16 December 1992 | Retired | |||||
| Eparch of Ss Peter & Paul of Melbourne | 16 December 1992 | 15 January 2020 | Retired | ||||
| Mykola Bychok C.Ss.R. | Eparch of Ss Peter & Paul of Melbourne | 15 January 2020 | Present |